Master of Arts in Speech & Hearing Sciences
Academic coursework and clinical practicum offerings prepare students to
become professional personnel capable of meeting the diagnostic and therapy
needs of individuals of all ages evidencing a wide variety of speech, language,
learning, and hearing problems.
Students are prepared as speech-language pathologists to provide direct and
consultative services in educational and medical settings. The course of study
emphasizes physiological, behavioral, neurological, and psychological dimensions
of normal development, fundamental communication processes, and disorders of
communication.
By applying science and research to clinical practice, graduate students develop
proficiency in reasoning and problem-solving relative to clinical principles and
procedures in diagnosis and treatment. The academic teaching and learning
philosophy is student-centered, research-based, and writing intensive.
Schedule
Full-time students typically complete the program in approximately two years, carrying on average 12–16 credit hours per semester. To be accepted into the graduate program, one must have earned a bachelor's degree in the field of speech language pathology or communication disorders or have met the undergraduate prerequisites.
The
Postbaccalaureate Program, a specialized one-year course sequence, allows a
student with a bachelor's degree in another field to prepare for entry to the
master's degree program in Speech and Hearing Sciences.
Coursework is offered on a special block schedule that allows students to
complete three terms of coursework within a two-semester academic year.
We strongly urge master’s degree candidates to consider summer enrollment when
planning graduate programs, as this helps accelerate the program toward
completion.
Campus clinic, off-campus clinical practica and internships, and selected core
curriculum and enrichment courses are available during summer session.
Out-of-state students should be aware that the difference between resident and
nonresident tuition is much smaller during summer session than during the
academic year.